


shiny and new.

by junfhongs



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Meet-Cute, Meeting the Parents, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:28:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24092869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junfhongs/pseuds/junfhongs
Summary: Felix and Byleth go separately to a New Year’s Party, and end up standing next to each other during the countdown to midnight.
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius/My Unit | Byleth
Kudos: 45





	shiny and new.

Felix usually wasn't invited to these gatherings. More accurately, he _was_ invited, but he was also, in Ingrid's _loving_ words, a "wet blanket." Felix wouldn't have had it any other way.

Unfortunately for him, his father was a regular of these festivities, and he was ' _too old for me to pretend you have a stomachache every time there's a party'._ If his father put in as much effort into lying as he did into caring for the Blaiddyd boy, maybe people would have believed him all this time.

Felix sighed as he put his hair up and prepared to go downstairs and meet his father in the carriage. Fhirdiad wasn't terribly far, but he had visited the castle enough times in his life to know exactly how long it took and exactly what topics his father would attempt to bring up just to get Felix to talk to him.

"You could _try_ to look less displeased, Felix," said his father as he boarded the carriage.

Felix leaned back, tilted his head up, and closed his eyes. "No, thank you. My scowl fits just fine on my face." And, well, those were their last words of the ride.

These social gatherings in the capital were usually for the royal family and their closest confidants, but this year, there were some new faces in the crowd.

And one of them… well… Felix didn't really have the words to describe her right now, not as he was too busy trying not to stumble over himself as they approached her.

"Captain Jeralt," his father greeted as they approached the gruff looking man by the far walls of the reception hall, "it is good to see you outside of the Monastery."

"Ah, Duke Fraldarius." The man named Jeralt bowed stiffly and nudged the stone-faced girl behind him to do the same. She did, albeit hesitantly, and Felix found himself smiling at the confusion in her furrowed brow. "Allow me to introduce my daughter, Byleth."

Rodrigue regarded her with piercing eyes. "The new professor, yes? She seems quite young for her post." He stepped aside to pull Felix forward, with his wide eyes and curious gaze. "Though she might end up teaching my son here, Felix. He's enrolling next year."

"Ah, I— yes." Felix swallowed the lump in his throat. _Nice going, Fraldarius. Go ahead, look like an idiot in front of a_ _girl and her father, for no apparent reason._

"Nice to meet you," she said flatly, not a hint of emotion in her voice. Felix… liked it somehow. She didn't seem like she cared too much about these nobles and their stuffy gatherings and stupid courtesies. Then suddenly, a light dusting of pink graced her cheeks. "Could you… lead me to the…" Her mumbling grew softer and softer.

Rodrigue nudged his son forward again and smiled at the heaviness of his feet. "Son, kindly escort the lady. I'm sure you know your way around the palace."

Felix nodded and offered her his arm, which she took after three whole seconds of quiet consideration and genuine confusion. They walked a distance away from their parents before she pulled her arm away and cleared her throat. "… the restroom," she said quietly, face now betraying a little embarrassment. "This place is even more confusing than the monastery and all its secret passages."

He smiled despite himself and turned his head towards an empty hallway. "Not quite. I know of a few secret passages here, come on."

Byleth didn't speak much along the way, probably too scared to ruin the peace of a quiet walk in the middle of a crowded palace, but Felix liked the way she spoke when she did. He wasn't a great judge of character—didn't interact with enough people outside of Sylvain, Ingrid, and Dimitri to develop it—but her mysteriousness made her seem more like an open book to someone like him, someone who aspired to be like, someone who cared less and less about this society as he carved his own path.

They found themselves on a balcony overlooking the gardens where the guests mingled after the banquet. "You sure you're not hungry? I wouldn't want either of our fathers chasing after us for running away from the… festivities."

"And go back to my father introducing me to everyone while they all question if I'm good enough to even have my job?" Byleth shrugged. "No thanks."

Now that they were settled down, now that Felix could lean against the railing and observe the way the lantern lights bounced off Byleth's dark hair and how she settled on a pose with her forearms on the railing and her cape resting lightly on her shoulders— only then did Felix realize that he never really looked at anyone this way, never found a reason to.

Felix caught a flash of blonde hair in a braid down by the gardens and quickly turned around before he could catch Ingrid's eye. His jerky movements made Byleth regard him curiously. "Something tells me you're just as much of an outsider as I am to these things."

He shrugged and turned around when he saw Ingrid chasing after Sylvain yet again. "I grew up with all of this, but I never cared about any of it. My father tries to involve me in the world of the nobles and their politics, but I know what I'm meant to do."

"Which is?"

"To grow stronger. To fight." He hoped the hard edge in his voice didn't come off as naivety. 

"Hmm." Byleth's gaze seemed farther than ever. "I thought that was going to be my life too but look at me now." She spun around mirthlessly, allowing her cape to twirl around her calves. "A fish out of water in a job that makes no sense to her."

"I'm… sure you're doing fine," said Felix, a twinge of hesitation in his words. He didn't know that, didn't know anything about her; his words were as empty as his Sylvain's flirtations.

"But hey," she turned to face him, "if I still have a job there when you enroll, I look forward to seeing you fight."

Something about that made Felix's heart race. "You owe me a match, _professor._ " His heart skipped a beat as Byleth replied with a smirk and a twinkle in her eyes that Felix didn't expect to ever see. Somehow, even if he thought they were cut from the same cloth, that she was an open book to him, somehow there was still so much mystery in the depths of those eyes and the way she pulled him in.

There was commotion downstairs. The sorcerers were stepping into position, ready to release a blast of magic and engulf the palace in light as soon as the clock struck twelve. It was an odd little tradition, but for once, Felix didn't hate being here.

"I heard," Byleth said as she shuffled closer to Felix, using him to block the cold winter air of Faerghus, "there's a tradition when celebrating the new year."

Felix's eyes widened, and his ears turned a bright red at the thought of it. "Faerghus has a lot— of, um, odd traditions." He noticed her shivering beside him and moved to take his cloak off for her, but Byleth shook her head and hooked her arm around Felix's, huddling even closer for warmth.

"Ah, it's almost here."

_ 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… _

Before they could even say a word, the sorcerers released their spells into the air, various colors and patterns swirling in the night sky. This wasn't Felix's first new year in the capital, so he was just mildly pleased by the display, but Byleth gripped his arm and gaped at the lights, a soft smile settling on her features nicely. Every explosion seemed to rekindle the spark in her eyes, the same spark that Felix couldn't get enough of.

He was facing her now, waiting as she slowly turned her head to meet his eyes. "Happy new year," she whispered.

"Happy new year." Felix didn't know what possessed him to place his fingers under her chin and lean forward, but he was going to ride this wave of courage until it ran out.

"Ah," she said softly, head turning slightly to the side, "you know, if you do end up being my student, this'll be… a weird memory."

Felix smirked and gently rubbed his thumb on her chin. "Tradition is tradition though, right?"

Byleth faced him and tilted her head up to meet his yet again. This time, it was Byleth who was inching closer and closer. "Didn't think you'd be the type to care about that."

"Definitely not, but…" he whispered, his breath bouncing back to his skin as it ghosted over Byleth's lips. Before they could talk themselves out of it, Felix closed the distance and pressed their lips together, just a light peck to start the year right.

As soon as they parted, all the charm and confidence in Felix's body dissipated, leaving him blushing and bumbling for the right words. "Ah, well, happy new year, I—"

"Hey, hey, hey." Byleth grabbed his arm before he could run away, her fighter's reflexes showing in the way he barely took a step before she got to him. "No running; I wouldn't know how to get out of this palace if I tried." Felix stopped, chuckled at her death grip around his wrist, and felt his racing heart go back to normal— before stopping completely at the way she moved to softly hold his hand. "Let's go."

By the time they arrived at the reception hall, they were walking one foot apart again, suddenly aware of the eyes that would be on them if they emerged from an empty hallway together. Luckily for them, everyone was too busy saying their farewells to notice two oddballs in a crowd.

"Ah, my father looks like he's about ready to escape and jog all the way to Garreg Mach." There was a soft smile on Byleth's face as she turned to Felix. "Thank you for showing me around, Felix. I'll see you… someday."

"Someday," Felix echoed, a little hesitant to let her walk away. "You still owe me a match."

"Show me what you're made of, Fraldarius." And with that, she walked away, her brusque gait cutting a path through the crowd. The disappointment was settling heavy in Felix's stomach, but he knew that _someday_ would come true. Soon, he would see her again.

Before he could quietly slip away, however, he saw a flash of blond hair towering over the crowd, and eventually Dimitri and the others caught him in their clutches. "So this is where you've been," said Dimitri, a smile gracing his face to combat the deep glare Felix threw at him.

"So, Felix, where have you been hiding?" Sylvain placed an arm over his shoulders. "C'mere, time to give you your new year's kiss—"

Felix's eyes widened at the mention of a kiss— though his eyes betrayed him by trailing after a body across the room that wasn't there anymore. "Take one step, and I'll _maim_ you."

Sylvain laughed and took several steps back, hiding behind Ingrid and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Ingrid, help! A tiny man is threatening to kill me!"

Felix's glare deepened. "I am not—" He took a deep breath and clenched his hands into fists. "I won't even dignify that with a response."

"You know," something about Ingrid's expression triggered alarms in Felix's head, "I thought I saw you with someone tonight. A girl…"

Dimitri's eyes could have popped out of his head, _that damn gossip._ "Felix, don't tell me. Did you finally share a new year's ki—"

For the first time in his life, Felix was glad to see his father. "Ah, time to go." Felix brushed past them all but was stopped in his tracks by Rodrigue's death glare. At least Felix knew who he got that from. He quickly turned around and bowed to Dimitri, all stiff and rushed. _"Your Highness."_

"Have a safe trip home, Rodrigue, Felix. Although," Dimitri smirked and crossed his arms in front of his chest, "we will get that story out of you someday."

Felix rolled his eyes and walked out of the palace before he caught anyone else's attention. Right as he exited the large doors, he caught a flash of long, dark hair in the corner of his eye. And there she was, Byleth in all her glory, being pulled down a horse as Jeralt scolded her and told her to ride in the carriage instead, his amusement written in his soft eyes and the way he ruffled her hair before helping her up.

Though there were no proper goodbyes tonight, Felix was eagerly waiting for the day he could see her— and maybe he could see that spark in her eyes yet again.

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO i'm going through an awful case of writer's block, so i decided to put their names in a prompt generator and see where that led me lol
> 
> [twitter (@amenochieien)](https://twitter.com/amenochieien)  
> [tumblr (junfhongs)](https://junfhongs.tumblr.com)  
> [curiouscat (/amenochieien)](https://curiouscat.me/amenochieien) (you could leave me prompts to help me out of this rut haha)


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